The Siren of the Underground
by redpony
Summary: "What can you possibly gain by killing me?" Jareth choked as he felt his body go numb while the golden light seeped out of him. "Oh no my King, I have no intention to kill you," she said melodiously. He fell to his knees and she continued "I intend to love you." With his remaining strength he whispered the name he held dear, "Sarah." Jareth/Sarah. T because I'm paranoid. Review.
1. A Siren's Tale

_The Siren of the Underground_

_Prologue_

_ No one is quite sure how the first siren truly came to be. The mythical song women have populated both the Aboveground and the Underground for many a millennia, and even the oldest of each race cannot recall how the first siren came to be. A fable exists, though few have heard it. _

_ It claims that once, a woman more fair than the moon walked the Undergrounds. Her skin shone with the pale moon's light, her long ebony hair was darker than the blackest night shade that bloomed in the darkest corners of the Underworld, and her blue eyes shone with the qualities of the purest seas in the Abovegrounds. Everywhere, men fell at her feet, begging to receive her affection. But her heart was as cold as ice. _

_ Each man who tried for her love failed miserably. For many years, it seemed she would remain unloving, until she met Damian, King of the Goblins and master of the Labyrinth. He remained persistent upon each failure to spark the beauty's interest. To him, this fair woman was a prize, but nothing more. She, however, unaware of the treacherous Fae's intentions began to thaw out her heart. With each gift, each magical trick, and each claim of love, he began to see a change in her. She no longer pushed him away. In fact, she welcomed his love. Soon, he asked for her hand, swearing to lay their love between the stars and make her his queen. She agreed, and the two were to be married but this was not the ending fate had in mind._

_ On the night before their wedding, she found her beloved to be untrue. She saw him wrapped in an embrace with a young spring fae called Maida. This sole embrace showed more love, passion, and truth than all of her time with Damian. Seeing this broke her heart. In despair, she prayed to Seline, goddess of the moon. She pleaded for a way to punish men so that they could feel this terrible empty pain that radiated through her broken heart. Seline looked down in pity, seeing the sadness echoing through out her, so Seline granted her wish._

_ Seline showed her the way to unlock the power of a man's heart. Seline commanded her to sing, and as she did, Seline laced her voice with powerful old magic. Now, whenever she sang, any man who heard her would fall so deeply in love that he would be a slave to her will. Seline renamed her Alima, and the first siren now walked the Underground. Alima made it so that her power could not affect a man whose heart loved another truly. For Alima now hated men with a burning passion, but she wished to cause no heart break to other women. Now, Alima traveled the Underground, casting heartless men under her spell, and taking their spirits to strengthen her power. _

_ Yet, Alima's tale was not finished. One night, as Alima walked through the Goblin City, she found a woman kneeling in the rain, crying with a deep, heart-wrenching anguish. Alima recognized her. It was Maida, the Spring fae from so long ago. Alima comforted the woman and welcomed her to share her tale while getting out of the rain. Maida wept piteously as she explained her story. Apparently, Damian broke Maida's heart as well. He left her, claiming that he no longer loved her for she was like the flowers she grew. While fair and flourishing for now, she would wither and age with time. Maida had broken all ties with her people to be with Damian, and now she had no one to turn to. Maida's light, rose colored eyes shone with freshly fallen tears as she apologized to Alima. Damian had pursued Maida when she was young and foolish, only now did she see how wrong she was to believe that Damian had truly loved her. Alima looked at the woman sobbing in front of her and felt a strong surge of empathy. Here was a woman so similar to herself, heart broken, and without a home, looking for a way to pick up the shattered life she had forsaken. Alima gently wiped away the woman's tears, and offered Maida a new life. Alima taught Maida the ways of the song, lacing her new daughter's voice with the same magic that ran through Alima's being._

_ The newly found mother and daughter continued to walk the Underground, stealing away the hearts of foul men. Each night, Seline would point the two towards another woman, wishing for a way to change this fate in which she seemed trapped, and if she wanted, Alima would unlock the power of the song for this girl and make her a daughter. Thus, the race of Sirens began to grow. _

_ Over time, Alima saw herself beginning to age. For while the magic she had been given had kept her young for longer than expected, she was not immortal. This caused her great worry. When she died, what would become of her daughters? Where could they go? The world was becoming a dangerous place for a Siren. Men were becoming aware of the existence of Sirens. Talk had spread of foul temptresses who stole husbands and fathers, and men called for an ending of the power of the song women. Alima knew that she had to find a home for her daughters, somewhere they could flourish, somewhere away from the evils of man. So, Alima took her daughters, and they traveled East. _

_ Guided by the moon's beams, they traveled for what seemed like ages, until even the newly shining Labyrinth of the Goblin King was not even a speck in the distance. They continued searching, until they finally found it. The Isles Nysa were several small islands floating in the crystalline white waters of the Ocean of Dreams. The Sirens found a happy life here, able to use their songs to control the dreams of the Aboveground. They took on a peaceful existence, no longer the enslavers of men, but the weavers of dreams. The Isles held a bounty of abundance for them, each Island growing enough fruit to sustain a thousand Sirens, and Alima looked at this new life and smiled. Surely now, peace could ensue for her family for the rest of time._

_ The fable of Alima ends here, but the story continue. Unknown to the Sirens as they wove dream like magic, another had discovered their existence. Hagad, great great grandson of Damian, and the new Goblin King, discovered ancient texts claiming the whereabouts of these "mystical dream weavers". Hagad, unaware of what his actions would set in motion, set off with a fleet of ships to "bring the lovely wild women back into society" as he claimed. The fleet sailed east,following a path revealed by moonlight, as claimed by the texts. They sailed on for days, until on the day of the red sun, they arrived at the Isles of Nysa._

_ The sun rose blood red over the Isles of Nysa, casting a dark reddish haze into the normally light waters. The isles were cloaked in a red haze, not bright enough to see through clearly, but not dark enough to hide the gazes of fearful sirens. They sensed something coming, something with dark purpose. When the ship stopped, the sirens watched with a sense of both curiosity and fear as smaller lifeboats began bobbing towards their islands. Hagad and his crew rowed steadily to the islands, progressing quickly through the red waters as the waves had stopped._

_ Once Hagad and his crew had landed, they scouted the islands, quickly finding the homes of the sirens. The sirens tried welcoming the strangers into their lands, believing that perhaps, men had changed over the time they had spent in isolation. They were wrong. It all happened so quickly. None of the sirens had any time to sing. Their homes burned, as great numbers of them were captured. Any who resisted capture or tried to use her powers was killed. It was a vision of horror. The sands of the beaches were stained red with the blood of sirens, and the isles flickered grotesquely with flames that beat against the reddish haze of the day._

_ The few sirens who had been left on the Isles of Nysa huddled together with crystalline tears sliding down their faces. Alima wept silently, keeping her face as hard as the rock that would remain untarnished by the flames, while the tears fell freely. Her family had been taken from her again. She looked at the girls around her. Each one shook like the emerald palm leaves of their home that now burned to a dark charcoal black. Alima had to be strong, if not for herself, then for her daughters. She rose slowly, keeping her eyes set on the sinking sun, where the outline of a ship was visible, a dark spec on a blood red horizon. Lightly, Alima's voice filled the silence. Her voice rose and fell with each breath, as she sang the age old lullaby from her youth._

_Sweet and low, sweet and low,_

_Wind of the western sea,_

_Low, low, breath and blow._

_Wind of the western sea! _

_Over the rolling waters go,_

_Come from the dying moon, and blow,_

_Blow them again to me;_

_While my lost ones, while my pretty ones, sleep. _

_ The other sirens joined Alima, creating a chorus of voices. Their song drifted along the air, as if to penetrate the dank hull of a warship where shaking and wailing sirens were imprisoned. Their voices echoed through out the night._

_Sleep and rest, sleep and rest,_

_Peace will come to thee soon;_

_Rest, rest, on Mother's chest,_

_Mother will come to thee soon;_

_Mother will come to her babes in the nest,_

_Silver sails all out of the west_

_Under the silver moon;_

_Sleep my lost ones, sleep my dear ones, sleep._

_ In the hull, Maida pulled her knees to her chest. Sobs surrounded her, as her sisters wept piteously at being stolen from their mother and home. While the others felt heart wrenching sorrow, Maida felt rage burn within her. She had been broken by the likes of man before, and she no longer was afraid and weeping. These men had taken everything from her, and they would pay. Her once joyful rose eyes hardened, and something dark took root in them. The men would pay, oh they would pay._

_Once, they were happy before this._

_Under the silver moon;_

_Sleep my lost ones, sleep my dear ones, sleep._

_End_

**So, this is the beginning to The Siren of the Underground. I tried to make it sound like a real myth. I found most of these names on a website except Maida I made that up. This will be a Jareth/Sarah fic *emit fan squeals as needed* once I get to the writing of the parts that actually involve Jareth and Sarah. The first chapter will come along soon (I hope.) However, this may take a while. I want to do this more professionally than some of my other stories, because Labyrinth is a different fandom than what I'm used to. I'm saying now, I have a tendency to stop all work on a story at times, it's a bad habit. I'm really trying hard to remain vigilant with this story. Anyway, the first chapter could be up in a few weeks, I know what I want it to be I just am having trouble thinking of a beginning. So, leave me a review letting me know if this is worth continuing.**

**Thanks guys,**

**Red **

**I own none of the characters in Labyrinth, those are Jim Hension's, but I wish I did!**


	2. Jareth's Melancholy

_Only in the crystal, could he see her. Only an illusion, she was nothing more to him now. He tried so hard to convince himself that he did not love her, that she was but a mortal girl who had defeated his labyrinth. Whenever he tried to forget, a voice in the back of his mind would call to him. It reminded him how she felt in his arms in her crystal dream, how beautiful she had been then, how she had been so innocent, a light in the darkness, and how she had refused him. He remembered how she broke a bit of his heart_.

o0o

A deep depression hung over the Goblin City, its Labyrinth, and its King. All goblins chose to retreat to the safety of their small huts. They knew better than to bother Jareth on today of all days. He had made sure of it, threatening any who disturbed him with being dropped in The Bog of Eternal Stench. He wished to be alone, and so he was.

Jareth held the crystal as if it were the most precious item in his possession, he gazed longingly into its crystalline depths as it sparkled jovially in his black gloved hand.

Inside, was an image of the one person he still cared for. Sarah Williams was still strikingly beautiful in the image. Her long dark hair was adorned with silver combs, and fell in waves down her back. In the crystal, she wore the same dress she had in her dream. The white and silver ball gown accentuated her beauty, turning her from a normal girl to an ethereal being which had captured his heart. Her face held the same look of innocent wonder, like she saw something others didn't. It almost pained Jareth to look at her, but today he needed to see her. After all, it was the fourth year anniversary of her defeat of his labyrinth. Each year, he would gaze into the crystal that could show dreams, and see Sarah.

The image brought back feelings as well. The way he had felt under her gaze when she was searching so intently for him. He remembered how she had felt in his arms, how warm she was, and how perfectly she had nestled into his grasp. He remembered serenading her, pouring his feelings into that song, and how enchanted she had been. He longed for her each day, it was like a never ending void. His feelings pained him, some days harder than others, but the emptiness inside him never went away. He felt like a dying soul, desperately wanting, but never receiving. He was so terribly enslaved by his emotions, it was like being caught in a tide, he was completely helpless.

He always wondered how it would have been if she had consented, if she had agreed to love him. Her words of defeat in the Escher Room always echoed in his mind. Reminding him that she wasn't his, and that he was powerless to keep her.

o0o

_ "Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered, I have fought my way here to the castle beyond the Goblin City." Sarah stated determinedly. She walked towards Jareth, and he retreated. He knew what she was doing, he knew what power those words contained._

_"For my will is as strong as yours, and my-"_

_"Stop. Wait." Jareth cut her off and held up a hand, silencing her speech. "Look Sarah. Look what I'm offering you." He held up the crystal, "your dreams." He kept the crystal outstretched towards her, hoping she would accept it._

_Sarah continued, "and my kingdom as great."_

_"I ask for so little. Just let me rule you..." Jareth stated. "And you can have everything that you want." His eyes almost pleaded with her, he wanted to plead, but he was her Goblin King, he was to show no weakness. _

_She turned from him, trying desperately to remember the line in her book, the one she forgot, and the one that would break his connection with her. _

_"Just fear me, love me, do as I say, and I will be your slave." He begged, he saw her think, repeating her last statement until she looked up at him. He extended the crystal, in one last desperate attempt to convince her, but he was too late._

_"You have no power over me."_

_With those words, the crystal and his world were shattered. His spell was broken, she had beaten him He returned her to her home, returned her brother, and flew off into the night. His illusion had ended, and his heart was broken._

o0o

He should hate her, and it killed him that he couldn't bring himself to. She had defeated him, she had refused him, and yet she still held his heart. He allowed a solitary tear to slip onto the crystal, and as the tear touched the surface, his dream changed. She was no longer a solitary figure standing alone. She waltzed in his crystal ballroom, passing from each masked figure to another in a pattern. Jareth watched her come together with the crystal goblin king, he watched himself lead her, and she remained in his arms. This was his sorrow, always watching the dance and never being able to take her in his arms again.

o0o

"What sorrow can possibly burden the mighty King of the Goblins?" An unfamiliar voice rang clearly across the throne room, shattering the silence, and breaking Jareth's concentration.

Jareth looked up, his illusion in the crystal shattered, leaving but a clear crystal in it's wake. A woman stood in the middle of his throne room.

"Who dares," he sneered making the crystal disappear. "To disturb the Goblin King?"

The woman knelt respectfully, her rose eyes meeting the cold stone floor. "I am Maida, my King."

Jareth critically noted the features of his intruder. Her blonde hair was long, meeting the small of her back. Her skin was pale like that of an Aboveground china doll. A china doll could describe her beauty as well. She was lovely, all features perfectly symmetrical, but her beauty seemed almost too perfect. Her eyes were the most haunting of all. Her irises possessed the hue of fresh spring roses, but also held a darkness. Jareth saw a dark past behind those eyes, and it left a slight chill in the now rose scented air.

"What purpose serves you to intrude upon my castle?" He narrowed his mismatched eyes.

Maida rose, "I wish to present His Majesty with a gift, a cure if you will."

"A cure for what?"

"For His Majesty's broken heart."

"I know not of what you speak," Jareth's face gave away nothing. "I possess no broken heart, only an intruder who insults my pride." His icy words hung freshly in the air.

She shook her head, a quality of innocence dancing in her words. "Oh no my King, I mean no insult. I wish to help you."

"You are of no help to me." He spat out.

"Then will you not allow me to humor you?" She questioned.

"With what? I am in no need of a strangers...services if you will."

"Oh no my King, I wish to give you the gift of a simple song. Nothing more, and if his Highness wishes, I will depart afterwards."

Jareth remained silent, and Maida began to sing.

_There's such a sad love_

_Deep in your eyes._

_A kind of pale jewel,_

_Opened and closed within your eyes._

_I'll place the sky within your eyes._

Jareth bristled as he recognized the song. He wanted to call for her to stop, he never wanted to hear those godforsaken lyrics again, but he remained silent. Her voice possessed an almost hypnotizing quality, and it held him in its thrall.

_It's such a fool heart,_

_Beating so fast._

_In search of new dreams,_

_A love that will last within your heart._

_I'll place the moon within your heart._

Her singing sounded like everything he had ever heard that was special. He heard the lulling pattern of the Sea of Dreams almost. Her voice had a quality like that of the birds he heard so clearly when he flew around The Aboveground, but then it almost sounded like Sarah's voice too. Maida's voice was so beautiful, it seemed to literally shimmer in the air. Each note lulled him into a sense of stability.

_As the pain sweeps through makes no sense for you._

_Every thrill is gone,_

_Wasn't too much fun at all._

_But I'll be there for you,_

_As the world falls down._

_Falling._

_(As the world) Falling down_

_Falling in love._

_I'll paint you mornings of gold_

_I'll spin you Valentine Evenings _

_Though we're strangers till now,_

_We're choosing the path between the stars._

_I'll lay my love between the stars_

Jareth felt light headed, his vision swam, and he couldn't control the thoughts swirling confusingly around in his head. _She's lovely, and she'd make a fine queen. Listen to her song, doesn't it say bounds about her love?_ _ She's good, kind, and so lovely just like...like...what was her name again?_

_As the pain sweeps through makes no sense for you._

_Every thrill is gone,_

_Wasn't too much fun at all._

_But I'll be there for you,_

_As the world falls down._

Something was off here. Something didn't fit, where were these thoughts coming from? How could he forget, forget, he'd remember her name in a moment. Still, how was this possible unless...unless some kind of power was here, some kind that he had not noticed before. _Ah, yes_. How had he not noticed it before? The sickly sweet rose air was literally tainted with magic. He was breathing it in right now. Magic filled his lungs, stuck to his skin, and reached cold fingers into his fiercely beating heart. He felt them squeeze tightly, sending a cold force through his body as if he was standing in a fierce wind. A feminine voice that was not his own echoed through his mind.

_"I have seen your heart Jareth, King of the Goblins. I have not only seen the love, but the heart break as well. She left you, she doesn't love you and you know it."_

He tried to fight, to beat against this power that held him, but he was too weak, He was a leaf in the wind, completely powerless to the forces controlling him

"_Would it not be easier to forget? Forget it all and no more pain, heartbreak, or loneliness would plague you again. Give in to me Jareth, and I will love you with every breath of life in me." The voice whispered venomously._

For a moment, Jareth considered it. What if he forgot? Forgot all the pain, loss, love, and more that he had suffered. Did he want to forget? Forget her? Would forgetting her help?

No, he never wanted to forget her. The memories he possessed of her were more valuable than all the treasures of the world.

Suddenly, it was as if someone had cleared his head. He saw that Maida was still singing, now in ancient tongues he did not know. How could he ever want to forget her? He loved her, _Sarah_. Simply thinking her name gave him power. It forced the power controlling him to loosen it's hold.

"_Sarah, I love Sarah, my beautiful, precious Sarah. I have lain my love for her between the stars, and would gladly do it again. I would reorder time, and turn the world upside down for her without a moments thought."_

He felt the magic vanish, leaving not even a stray chill. Maida obviously noticed the lack of power as well, for she was silent. Jareth felt rage bubble inside him. This witch, this poisoned rose, had tried to ensnare him. He felt magic boil through his veins, and spark at his finger tips.

"Strange," Maida's heart shaped lips turned up in an amused grin.

Jareth kept his expression stony "What's strange?"

She began to stalk towards him, her face darkening. "Not many have been able to escape my power before. You must really love her, this Sarah."

With a flick of his wrist he pointed at the door, and growled "Get out."

"But of course my King. My song is now finished, but first...will you bestow upon a humble maiden a single kiss?" She smiled.

Jareth pointed at the door, "Be gone, Witch."

Maida stopped a few feet from Jareth darkness shimmering in her eyes, "Such a pity, I had hoped to avoid this. I do love the ones with spark in them. But, if this is the price for the mighty King of the Goblins, then so be it."

Jareth had no time to react before Maida cast two black ribbons towards him. As they sailed through the air, the ribbons grew in size, and began to wrap around the now struggling Jareth. It took mere seconds for him to be completely bound in strong black ribbon. He tried aimlessly to snap the bonds, using both magic and strength, but both failed him against the tireless black ribbons. Jareth felt his remaining energy being drained into the black bonds, which seemed to tighten their vice like grip upon receiving more energy. He sank to the ground, his face growing paler as he struggled to take in each breath. Maida walked to the fallen King, a cat like leer gracing her face.

"Come now your highness, be reasonable. Is not it easier to give in now? Come be with me, and I can stop this unnecessary mess with a wave of my hand."

"Ne-ver" He choked. Upon his words the bonds tightened, and almost seemed to bond with the floor, chaining him to stone with darkness.

"Ah, well, his majesty cannot say I did not wish to come to this." She kneeled down, and reached towards him, completely ignoring his weak attempts at escaping her pale fingers.

She placed a cold hand on his chest, directly over his thudding heart. She leaned closer, placing her rosy lips over his. He felt the numbing old intensify, and seep through his body. She deepened the kiss, and sent waves of freezing air through the room. Maida grinned wider, as she saw Jareth shiver, his lips blue. Sharply, she whipped a clear amulet out into the cold light, giving Jareth a clear view before placing it's icy iron chain around his neck. As soon as the clear amulet touched his chest, it began to softly glow. A golden light grew bright inside the clear crystal, and Maida pulled it away from him, removing it quickly. Jareth watched horrorstruck, as light continued to flow away from him, into the amulet in Maida's hand.

Jareth kneeled on the floor, clutching his chest, desperately attempting to staunch the flow of light pouring from his chest.

"What...could you possibly gain from killing me?" Jareth choked as he felt his body go numb while the golden light continued to seep out of him.

Maida stroked his pale cheek, watching the spark fade from Jareth's mismatched eyes. "Oh no My King, I have no intention to kill you." Her melodious voice accentuating each word.

He dropped his forehead to the cold stone, attempting to make sense of what was happening to him, but everything seemed to leave him. Everything, except Maida's cruel whisper that pierced the veil of his mind like an arrow as she finished.

"I intend to love you."

Jareth knew now what she wanted, he felt it, inside his mind. He felt his memories vanish from his mind, those of her vanishing faster. Jareth felt his spark, his very soul dim, and with his remaining strength he whispered the name he held dear.

"Sarah," a name he would soon forget. Painfully, he forced the last ounce of magic he possessed out into the air, sending it to the one person he knew could help him.

With that, Jareth gasped as his spark...

went

out.

o0o

*End of chapter 2*

**So this was the first chapter! I'm sorry if Jareth was OOC but I wanted to show a side of him, the we never get to see. I don't know, it's hard to describe Jareth in helpless positions. Any who, next chapter involves Sarah, and MAYBE one or two of our friends from the Underground ;D. So I've got a trip to go on for a couple days so I'll have some time to think about the next chapter. So I bid you guys adieu, and I ask you to review! Reviews are great help for me!**

**Red **


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